Life After Death
by DisneyFreak010
Summary: Disney's Hercules: So we all know Hercules and Megara's story up to where Herc decides to stay on earth with her, but what happens after that? In this story; we'll find out more about Meg's past, and what's to come in her future with Wonderboy. Romance, tragedy, humor, a furious god of the underworld, and much more.
1. Chapter 1

**{Hia FanFictionets; this is my very first fanfiction here. So, in other words; it will probably be awful. But then again, maybe not? Egh, I really don't care...I love writing. Hope you enjoy, God bless.}**

…As the two couples, the satyr, and the winged horse looked up at the new constellation in the sky; extreme happiness filled each of them; some more than others, of course. Hercules' foster parents Alcmene and Amphitryon could tell that something more had just happened though. What made them wonder the most though; was that their son was not only with his two best friends, but an unfamiliar face; a very beautiful one at that. Alcmene turned to her husband; "is it just me, or does Herc have a new friend with him?" She asked in a low whisper. Amphitryon looked over as well; his eyes glued to the young woman standing beside Hercules. "Are you sure they're just friends?" He asked his wife in the same hushed tone; adding a soft chuckle to it. Her smile grew larger to the thought as she looked back to her husband with wondering eyes. And as if Herc was reading their minds; he gently pulled Megara off to the side.

…Once the two had a bit of privacy to speak to one another without being heard; Hercules took Meg's hands in his. With extreme nervousness in his voice, he finally asked. "M-Meg? …Will you," He met her gaze, and saw equal fear in her eyes. She knew exactly what he was going to ask; he wanted her to meet his parents, his _other_ parents. Although she had already met his biological family; it didn't make things any easier. Within the past 24 hours, Meg's life changed beyond her wildest expectations. Not only was she free of Hades, but her bitter hatred towards life and love itself had vanished…all because of him. This man standing right in front of her; the man she had grown so deeply in love with; he had crushed everything dark and cruel inside of her. His touch made her feel like nothing in the world could ever hurt her again; this feeling frightened her, yet gave her an overwhelming sense of comfort. As she looked up into his blue, child-like eyes; she whispered the only words that came to her head. "Will they….like me?" For a moment, Hercules seemed frightened by her question. _She's actually nervous about meeting my parents?_ This seemed to ease him, and he smiled back at her. "Will they like you?!" He lifted Meg off the ground, and pulled her into a gentle hug; smiling even wider as she started laughing by his sudden enthusiasm. "Meg….they will love you." He spoke softly; pushing a couple stray hairs away from her face as he stared into her violet eyes. A few moments passed before Meg broke their gaze, and looked over at Alcmene and Amphitryon. Still yet, they had the same smile on their faces as their eyes met. She immediately felt a rush of relief course through her body; she then looked back at Hercules, and nodded the okay.

…He slowly placed her onto her feet; both refused to let their hands part. When they started walking over; Meg felt him practically quivering with fear. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear; "Wonderboy?" Hercules smirked to the nickname; instantly allowing some stress to leave him. "No matter what," She paused a moment; not only for the effect, but to build up the courage to actually finish. "….I'll always love you." With that; all his worries seemed to fade. He didn't have to worry about the approval, or expectations everyone else thought of him. They were together, and nothing could take that away from them; not his parents, his coach, Greece, or the underworld itself. "Mom...Pop?" Hercules began as he used his free hand to take his adoptive mother's. "I-I want you….Ugh, I mean;" Hercules turned to Meg, looking for the right words to say. Her smile placed the words right to his mouth, and he continued. "This is Megara." He then laughed softly, and smiled bright enough to light up all of Greece. She returned the gesture, and stepped closer to Alcmene and Amphitryon; finally letting go of Herc's hand. "Well, everyone just…calls me Meg." Before she could say anything else; she was enveloped into a tight, yet warm hug. She looked around for a moment; at first she thought she was just imagining what was happening. Alcmene somehow hugged Meg even tighter, gently swaying her back and forth the way a loving mother would to her own child. Megara gave in, and hugged Alcmene back. Finally; the older woman released her grasp, and took Meg by the shoulders so she could study her face. "Well son, you certainly know how to pick 'um…She's very pretty, that's for sure." She spoke to Hercules with a soft chuckle. Both Hercules and Meg turned a bright shade of crimson, and stared at one another for a moment. Amphitryon joined the three, and stood beside his wife; putting his hand gently on her shoulder. "I'd have to agree with ya' on that one, m'dear." They were suddenly interrupted by a man in a purple robe with a crown atop his head. He held his hand up to silence the crowds, and finally spoke. "Citizens of Thebes, due to the mighty Hercules' brave success in saving our city; I declare a celebration be thrown in his honor. Everyone…..is invited!" The crowd starting cheering again; all except one individual….Meg.


	2. Chapter 2

…Once seeing the king walk forward; Meg immediately stormed away, and hid behind Pegasus. The white stallion didn't budge, but he looked at her with utter confusion. She whispered to him through fearful sobs; "Whatever you do, horse-feathers. PLEASE…..don't move." Although he would have done the exact opposite if she had asked the same request several hours ago; Meg was no longer his enemy, so he stayed put. "Meg, isn't this….M-Meg?" Hercules asked as he looked around for her. _She was just here a second ago._ He thought. Moments later, he saw the bottom half of her dress hidden behind Pegasus. _What's she doing over there?_ He shook the thought from his head, and walked towards them. "Ugh….Meg? You okay?" He asked. She straightened up; quickly making sure she wouldn't be seen by anyone else. "Of course! Uhm…..I just wanted to….check on Ol' horse-feathers." She forced a smile while petting the stallion's cheek. Still worried that Hercules wouldn't be convinced; Pegasus lovingly nuzzled his head into Meg's neck, just to confirm her reply. He bought it, and smiled back. "Okay, well….King Creon has invited us all to the palace; I'm sure he'd love to meet you." Meg nodded, putting on her _happy _face. "That sounds….great." She almost choked on the last word, but somehow managed to say it. Hercules suddenly took Meg's hand, and guided her forward. _Wait! He means NOW!?_ She screamed to herself. "Ugh wait! Herc?" Hercules looked back at her; stopping dead in his tracks. "C-Can't we…meet him later? I'm just…...not used to meeting a whole bunch of new people all at one time." She bit her bottom lip; praying he wouldn't push forward. Thankfully, he didn't. "Oh, I'm sorry…..yes; we'll just meet him later then." He said while kissing her forehead. She sighed with satisfaction, finally able to genuinely smile. She already had to deal with Hercules' parents today; she really didn't want to bring her own father into the equation.

…Even after 2 hours; the party was still very much alive. Everyone was having a great time, well….almost everyone. Meg had spent most of the time avoiding her father to the very best of her abilities; all while trying to convince Hercules that she was fine. Her attempts were short-lived though. He quickly caught on that she distressed about something. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her off to the side….again, and asked. "Alright, what's wrong?" She shook her head, and tried acting confused. "Nothing, I'm perfectly…" Hercules interrupted and gave her a *_would you just tell me* l_ook. "Meg?" She finished her previous sentence with a defeated sigh. "Fine." After lowering her head, Hercules gently lifted her chin back up so she would look at him. "Hey? You know you can tell me anything." He then smirked, and whispered softly. "No matter what…I'll always love you." She couldn't help but smirk back at him; his smile was just so contagious. With another sigh escaping her lips; Meg looked around to make sure no one was watching, took Hercules' hand, and walked outside on the balcony. After collecting her thoughts, Meg looked up into Herc's worried eyes, and began. "I-I….I should have told you this earlier, but" the rest of her sentence suddenly seemed to get caught in her throat, but she somehow made something come out; even if it was a soft whisper. "But, I was afraid." Hercules took her hands in his again, and spoke with a firm; yet gentle tone of voice. "Meg? You know you can tell me anything." She nodded, and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. _How am I supposed to tell him that my father is the king of Thebes?! And then I'll have to explain EVERYTHING to him; about my family, why I ran away from home, my deal with Hades, and.….Adrian. _Tears started welling in her eyes just to the thought, but she held them back as if she was trying to save the last bit of independence still left in her.

_-Flashback-_

_…A middle-aged man with silver and black hairs coming from his beard and under his crown; walks through a narrow hallway of the palace. His purple robe symbolizing his regal attire; drags faintly across the floor. Several servants tending some potted plants watch as their master walks up, and gently knocks on a door. They could barely hear him ask; "Sweetheart? May I come in for a moment?" He waited, and then finally heard his daughter answer back; "H-Hold on, just a sec!" The king shook his head, smirking. "Your sisters and I have been waiting for," he then was interrupted by the girl. "I know. I know…I accidentally slept in!" She finally rushed out of the room; her curly, auburn hair was practically falling out of place, and she was still trying to tie her sandal. King Creon looked her over, and let out a sarcastic sigh as he placed his hands on his sides as if to say he was disappointed. Even though he wasn't, he was trying his hardest not to smile and look at her sternly. When she looked up at him and saw his expression, she could immediately see through him. Letting out a small chuckle, she then copied her father's pose; placing her hands on her hips. "You told me to hurry, what did you expect? To come out looking like some goddess?" She said sarcastically with a hint of harshness. He then relaxed his posture, realizing he could never win that certain charade with his daughter, and then replied back. "No, but I was expecting the princess of Thebes." She then rolled her eyes; always hating being called a princess. "Yeah," She started. "And that's exactly what you got. So perk up, and let's go to that ceremony already!" She started to walk off, but her bangs flew down in front of her face, messing her ponytail up even more. "Ugh!" The king chuckled with her annoyed attitude, and then said softly as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "How about we fix that hair of yours first? In front of your pretty face like that, it might just get in the way. Don't you think?" She scoffed, but nodded in agreement as he led her back to her room. _

_…Sitting in a chair; she put a hand under her bangs so she could see. She watched her father walk over to a dresser and pick up a small brush lying on the top. "Aren't we going to be late?" She asked to relieve the silence. As he walked back over to her, he pushed the hair out of her face, and said; "trust me, I think it'll be alright if we're a bit off schedule. Besides, we have a major crisis on our hands." The young girl chuckled, and shook her head; knowing she just walked right into that one. "Right; let's call the hair police, shall we?" She replied as she blew a couple stray hairs out of her violet eyes. Just as King Creon was about to answer, his eldest daughter came bursting into the room. She had curly, blond hair that draped down her back, and her dress was far more beautiful than the one her little sister was wearing. Even though they were related by blood, the two were very different. "Astraia, what are you going to fuss about this time?" asked the king's younger daughter. Astraia crosses her arms over her chest and glared at her little sister. "Fuss about this time? Okay…hum, let's see. How about the fact that we're going to be late for the ceremony?" Asked the clearly aggravated young woman. "Dear, we're almost ready. But, I'm going to need you to calm down;" said her father. She let out a heavy sigh, but nodded softly. Creon was the only one who could ever calm Astraia down. Even when she was a small child, her mother's attempts always seemed to fail. Sadly, she committed suicide not long after their two sons were murdered. After their death, not only did Creon have to take care of his three daughters alone, but all of Thebes as well. And without a rightful heir to the throne, he knew that he would have to let his eldest daughter marry as soon as possible. As long as she was able to have a son, he wouldn't have to choose a long distance relative as the next king. The thought of wedding his daughter at only seventeen made him feel awful. But, every time he looked in a mirror and saw the grey hairs, and how much older he appeared; it only made him realize what he had to do for his kingdom. As these thoughts raced through his mind, his oldest daughter was still getting herself ready while his youngest noticed the look of sadness in his eyes. She was almost able to read his mind, and even though she was three years younger than her oldest sister, she was far wiser on these sorts of things. Gently, she took his hand to bring him back to reality, and looked up at him with a soft smile across her face. She then whispered; "everything's going to be alright…I promise." Creon couldn't help but smile back. The look of innocence on her face, and in the tone of her voice; was great enough to comfort him for a moment. He slowly knelt down in front of her, pushing back the last strand of hair from her face, and whispered back; "thanks. I needed to hear that." Smiling once more, he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "What would I do without you?" He asked. The girl smirked, and then whispered in his ear; "you'd have to go to this stupid ball alone with Astraia and Jocasta. I'm going just to pull you off from the throats of all the guys who are going to be drooling over them." Creon let out a soft chuckle, knowing she wasn't being completely sarcastic about this. _

_…Finally at the entrance Astraia and Creon's second oldest daughter Jocasta raced inside; slowly followed by their father and little sister. Once the four were inside; they all looked around in awe. Kings, queens, princes, and princesses from all around the world had gathered there that evening. While Astraia and Jocasta walked around, greeting themselves to all the handsome young princes, Creon was keeping an extremely close eye on the two, while his youngest daughter headed straight for the buffet table. It was the only reason she actually liked coming to these types of events; the food was always amazing. Right as she was about to pick up a piece of pita bread, she felt someone bump into her. Even though she didn't fall over, the person's ignorance seemed to enrage her. "Hey, why don't you watch were you're going?!" She almost yelled. It wasn't loud enough for anyone else to hear, just enough to get her point across to the young boy standing nervously in front of her. He started stuttering; "I-I ugh…I'm s-sorry…I didn't mean to…to ugh, bump into you." Starting to feel bad as she saw fear in the boy's golden-brown eyes, she just smiled at him, and then replied. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have over-reacted like that." As he started to relax again, smiling back, she couldn't help but notice how charming he really was. He had dark, black hair that seemed to intensify his eye color even greater than it already was, and he was also fairly well-built for his age. Suddenly, she started to feel nervous and week in the knees as she continued to look him over; she had hardly noticed that he was doing the same in return. "Uhm, I'm Adrian." He said trying to break the silence. Her smile only seemed to widen as she replied back; "m-my name's…"_

**{Okay, so I know I just posted my first chapter here only two days ago. BUT, I wanted to finish my little cliffhanger, and post this. Each chapter will probably be a week or two apart though. Life's been kinda crazy at the moment, and I don't have much time to write. So if I'm late on the next few updates, I just want to apologize in advance. Thank you all SO much for the support, God bless.}**


	3. Chapter 3

…"Megara?" Hercules said a bit louder; just to bring the young woman back into reality, and out of her daydream. She shook her head to clear her sight, and looked back up at Hercules. "Wait, uhm…what was that you said?" She asked. Before hearing her name; she remembered him saying something, but she accidentally blocked it out. He then repeated; "I said that whatever it is you're trying to tell me; I want you to know that I won't judge you because of it. My feelings for you will never subside." He spoke softer this time; hoping she would open up to him. He knew this was something dealing with her past. Obviously, someone hurt her; whether it was physically, mentally…or both. For some reason; his statement choked her up even more. She immediately tore away from their gaze, and held back the tears threatening to cascade down her face. After a moment; Meg realized she wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer. Even the thought of Hercules watching her cry made her feel so weak and helpless. In her mind; her strength was all she had left while she worked for Hades. "Herc, I" she began, but it was too much; she finally broke. "I-I….I just can't." The Grecian beauty quickly pried her hands free of his, and ran down the hallway of the palace. Hercules was too stunned to immediately run after her, and just stood there. _What have I done?_

_-Flashback-_

_…"I forbid you from ever seeing this man again! Is that clear, Megara?!" Her father boomed from inside the throne room; trying to reason with his youngest daughter. She just glared at him in response; she was far from furious by now. Creon stood from his chair then, and tried to calm down. Yelling would accomplish nothing; if anything, it would only make things worse. He walked down towards Meg, but with every step he took towards her; she took a step back. He finally stopped, and spoke in a gentle tone of voice. "Meg, please… just listen to me. I know what I'm saying is hard for you to understand, but" as he was about to continue, she harshly interrupted. "Hard for me to understand?! Wha…..I UNDERSTAND perfectly fine! You're lying!" Meg was on the verge of tears now, but she held her ground. "I am NOT lying. What I speak is the truth! …I just don't want you to be hurt by this womanizing jerk." The redness in her face somehow deepened in color, and she clenched her fists so tight; her knuckles turned white. "You're wrong! He would never do something like that…he loves me!" Creon took a deep breath; his heart broke for her. Although he wouldn't admit to it; Megara was his favorite. Just thinking that she would spend her life with that conceited, foolish man; made him furious. Adrian was one: not worthy of his little girl. And two…not committed to her. His eyes always wondered; even to Meg's sisters. This was the reason he was even having this fight with his daughter in the first place. Jocasta told her father about Adrian trying to make a move on her, and on Astraia. So, now that he was moving to Athens; he wanted Megara to go with him. "Meg." He stated firmly. "I can't force you to stay here. But…as you already know; Thebes and Athens are rivals! They would not be pleased with you being there since you're my daughter." She groaned, and rolled her eyes to him. "If they won't be "pleased" with me being there because of that reason...…dis-own me!" She screamed the last two words so loudly; it echoed through the room. This didn't stop her though, it only enticed her. "This is your chance; you'll finally be rid of me! THEN…once I'm out of the picture; you can sell off Jocasta and Astraia to some spoiled-rotten, arrogant little prince!" She got closer to her father, and finally said it. "You've become someone you've always said you'd never be like. A king who worries more about himself, than the people he's supposed to care for." He started fuming again, and he was finally face to face with her. "That's not true, Meg!" This was the perfect time to finally speak her mind, she thought. "Thebes has become the city of turmoil because of you! …Ever since mom killed herself" before she could finish though; a sharp pain came across the side of her face, and she fell to the floor. Her ankle hurt some from the sudden movement, but she immediately pushed herself off the marble flooring, and quickly realized what had just happened. He…he just hit me!? She looked up into her father's mortified eyes, and slowly put a hand to her face; only intensifying the pain. His whole body was shaking; if it had been any other time…she would've tried comforting him, but that wasn't the case. Before letting him say another word; Meg stormed off. Creon was too stunned; he couldn't even move. If he had only known where she was heading just then… he would've made a better attempt. "Adrian?!" Meg yelled running up and hugging the young man; crying into his shoulder. A wicked smile spread across his face as he held her tighter. "Hey now….everything's gonna be alright." He whispered in her ear. While in his thoughts; he laughed in triumph. You're all mine now, my little Megara. All…..mine. _

...Once Hercules had collected his thoughts, he started looking for her. He was going to ask Phil, but the satyr seemed to be having too much fun, and wouldn't be much help. After searching for well over five minutes; Hercules was starting to get worried. King Creon saw the hero's worried expression, and stood from his throne to walk over to him. "Hercules…is everything alright?" he asked while putting a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Well, honestly…no." He replied sadly. "The woman that accompanied me here is upset about something, and ran off. I can't seem to find her." Creon nodded his head, and said. "Humm, what does she look like? Maybe I've seen her." Hercules put a hand on the back of his neck trying to calm down, and answered the king. "She's wearing a long purple dress…uhm, has long curly brown hair, purple eyes…" Creon seemed taken back. "Purple eyes? Wait, uhm…wh-what's this girl's name?" His voice sounded eager and hopeful; Hercules noticed this, and looked at the king oddly. "Ugh, her name's …Megara." _It can't be. Could it?! _Creon thought as his eyes widen after hearing his daughter's name. His eyes darted across the room, and thoughts flooded his head. _She's here?! It's gotta be her! Please, oh please….I need to speak with her. _He finally looked up at the young man. _She's upset? …Yep. She's got to be in the _"The garden. That's where I'd check if I were you." Creon said. The hero looked even more confused, but it seemed possible. Meg liked flowers. Hercules nodded his head in thanks, and headed towards Creon's garden. He walked through another hallway, and reached the outdoor patio. Looking around, he had to admit; it was beautiful. The stairs leading down to the area was breath-taking in itself. Finally walking down the river-stone steps, he looked around once again. The cherry blossoms and lilies were in full bloom, and the wind carried some of their pedals away in a swift circular pattern. The only sounds that could be heard, was water swirling around in a marble fountain, and someone weeping in the distance. He sped around the fountain, and finally let out a sigh of relief. Meg sat; leaning against the tree. Her face stained with trails of tears, and her mind was consumed by her thoughts; not just for her father and Adrian, but Hercules. She knew it was wrong to just storm off, and leave him, knowing he was worried about her. Her thoughts ended momentarily as she felt someone sit beside her. "Hey," he said ever so sweetly. Letting out a slightly raspy chuckle, she repeated him; "Hey." Before Hercules had time to say something else, Meg spun around, and hugged him. "I shouldn't have run off like that…I'm sorry." She whispered against his chest. "Shhh, don't…it doesn't matter." He replied; gently putting a hand around her shoulder, and the other on the back of her head. "Yes it does, it was wrong of me." She said as she hugged him tighter. Hercules laughed quietly under his breath. "You're upset; you really think I'd be mad at you?" Meg smirked, and shook her head looking up at him. "Well I hoped you wouldn't be. Otherwise, you might punch me in the river styx too?" Hercules look confused. "Meg, I-I…I would never!" He then realized what she meant. _ Ohh, she's talking about Hades…w-wait a minute. How does she; _"How did you know about that?" He asked. Meg laughed again, and lowered her tone of voice. "A little satyr told me…..and for that" she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Hercules was surprised for just a moment, but gave in quickly and kissed her back. The couple just sat there; greatly enjoying the taste of one another's lips pressed against theirs. Neither wanted to part; this was the first time they hadn't been interrupted….or, so they thought. "Kids!" Phil cried; stumbling down the steps. They broke their kiss simultaneously, and looked at the satyr annoyed. _So much for not being interrupted. _"King Creon wants to see ya'! Like now-ish!" Phil yelled; finally reaching the bottom step, and running over to them. "Okay, okay….I'll be back in a minute, alright?" Hercules said to Meg, giving her an apologetic smile. "No, no, no….he asked to see the both of you." Phil butted in. Meg's eyes widened in terror. _He knows?! He must've seen me run out!_ She thought nervously as she bit her lip. Hercules noticed the fear in her eyes, and began to worry again. "Everything alright?" He asked cautiously. Meg shook her head, and answered. "Herc, I _really_ need to talk to you about something." She then gave Phil a look; asking him to leave. The satyr agreed with a nod, and wobbled away; leaving the two alone.

**{Okay, SO sorry for the cliff-hanger...but fair warning, they might happen often. ^^; Also, another sorry for how short this chapter is. I promise...the next update will ****_hopefully_**** be longer. More than anything though, I just wanted to thank you all for the reviews...you guys truly made my day. You all are AWESOME! Alright, one last thing I forgot to mention earlier...Hades will be coming soon. *insert evil laugh here -* Mwah-hahaha! - Eh-hem...I mean, he's an immortal god. He'd eventually get out, and would want revenge right? XD Okay I'm finished ranting. Thank you all again, God bless.}**


	4. Chapter 4

**{Fair Warning! Not much has happened since the last update. I wanted to have one more chapter to get into Meg's past and mind before moving on. So, in other words...if you wanted Meg and Creon to see each other again in this; I have failed you! *cries* BUT...they will in the next chapter, I promise! Don't hate me! *hides under coffee table*}**

….Hercules took her hand, and stayed silent so she could speak. With a deep breath, she began. "Herc I….I should've mentioned this earlier to you. Uhm….King Creon," she paused, getting caught on her words again. Meg knew Hercules loved her; he wouldn't have given up his dreams for her if he didn't. _Right?_ Looking up into his eyes again, she was finally able to swallow her fears. _He won't change because of this, but he'll finally have a stupid pet name to call me…..princess. _She rolled her eyes; smirking to the thought for a moment, and finally continued. "King Creon is my…father." She said, saying the final word softer than she'd planned. As expected, Hercules eyes widened in an '_is that what she just said'_ kind of way. "H-King Creon is your…y-your father?" He asked stuttering. _Oh gods…he's gonna kill me!_ Hercules thought. It all made sense now, but it didn't make things any easier. Being a hero of Greece; he knew practically all the royal families. Thebes was where most of the monsters attacked though, so he had come to know Meg's father very well. Hercules knew about Creon's wife, his son's deaths, about his two remaining children, but…he never spoke about his youngest daughter. Creon would always get so upset when he thought about her that Hercules never even asked what her name was. Now that he knew; he wished he had asked earlier. "Herc, I haven't seen my father in almost three years." Meg stated; bringing him away from his thoughts. "After this fight we had…..I left." She ended shamefully; letting a single tear escape her violet eyes as she hugged her arms. Her father had been right all along, but she refused to believe him. It took Adrian's ultimate and completely heart-breaking actions to finally see what her father had been trying to prevent….betrayal.

_-Flashback-_

_…"Hades?! Hades I beseech thee. Hear me, and answer my call. I'm in need of your help!" Cried the young girl as she entered the temple of Hades. Her voice echoed throughout the dark building, and although she was utterly terrified; she stood with confidence. She waited but…nothing. Within those seemingly endless moments, her hope seemed to vanish, and tears streamed down her face. "Please." She wept, falling to her knees. And after sitting there for what seemed like hours, to only be a couple minutes in fact; she finally heard a deep, menacing chuckle creeping up behind her. Out of instinct, she immediately stood and turned to face the figure, but…she saw no one. Blinking away the remaining tears from her eyes, she spun her head in every direction; looking for the owner of the laugh she heard. I'm not crazy, I know I heard someone! She thought, stepping forward. "Hello?" She asked; only to hear the echo of her voice on return. Her patience seemed to vanish just as quickly as her hope did before; she was beyond mad. That emotion was only forced to hide her fear though, but she would never admit to it. "Okay look! I'm in no mood to play your silly little game…now, show yourself!" She yelled. This time, she finally got a response. "Woah-ho-ho, she's got some sass! ….I like it." Cooed the lord of the underworld. It may not have been the reply she was expecting, but it was a reply none the less. The god stood before her in an instant, and with a spider-like hand extended in greeting; he finally introduced himself. "Babe…the name's Hades; lord of the dead. Hey, how ya doin'?" While looking between the hand placed before her, and his oddly colored eyes that seemed to be looking straight through her; it took a few moments for the young woman to actually understand what he had just said to her. With a subtle nod, she finally answered the most hated god in the cosmos. "In all honesty…I've been better." He all but smirked back, a smirk so twisted; it would've made fully grown men run, crying to their mothers. But I don't have a mother to cry to….No. This isn't the time to think about her; this is about Adrian! She mentally scolded herself; shaking away the memories from her mind. Looking back up into Hades' demonic eyes, she finally blurted out what she had come to say. "The man I love is dying, and you're the only one who can save him! Please…I'll do anything." She pleaded; slightly choking on the last sentence as if she regretted her choice of words. Hades was more than pleased with her statement, but he wanted to drag this out as long as he could. He could tell that she was desperate, and waiting would only increase her desire to agree to the deal plotting in his mind. He needed someone like her. _

_Many of the monsters he wanted on his team had weaknesses for beautiful woman, and this girl was a perfect match even for her age. What 14…15 maybe? Hades thought as he eyed her up and down again; who could possibly say no to this? "Humm….anything, you say?" Hades asked with a hand under his chin, as if he was thinking hard on her offer. She gulped with a soft, yet fearful nod. "Y-Yes. IF…you save Adrian!" Hades waved off her comment as if it meant nothing though. "Of course, of course. I save lover-boy and YOU….join my team? We have a deal?" He asked; hand extended for her to shake. She looked at him skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest. "Join your team? Wha-What's that supposed to mean?!" He backed his hand away momentarily and answered. "I MEAN…sell your soul to me. Ya' know; live in the underworld, do whatever I say, yadda yadda, and so on." He said quickly; almost sounding like someone listing side effects for a dangerous medication. "My soul? Don't you have enough-"he interrupted though. "But I don't have a LIVING soul! …Especially one as pretty as yourself." He added, spinning around her; weaving his fingers through her auburn curls. Not moving an inch; she watched him from the corner of her eye as fear took over again. Her heart pounded against her chest so hard that it almost hurt, and what scared her most…she couldn't hide her fears; his touch was too powerful. Taking a deep breath, she returned her gaze back to Hades, and nodded. His menacing grin widened even greater than before as he clicked his fingers, and a contract appeared in front of her. With another wave of his hand, a pen formed in his grasp, and he handed it to her. "Just needs your signature, babe. Oh! And might I add…...lover-boy's time is running out, and fast." That was all she needed to hear; without reading a single word, she signed herself over. Hades continued to smirk; this was all too easy. Letting out a defeated gasp, she dropped the pen and it vanished the second it touched the ground. She looked at her name and realized how much more it meant on this piece of paper; she was now bound to Hades, the lord of the underworld….forever. She held out a shaky hand for him, and Hades shook it. Just as their flesh made contact, a glow ignited the room. And as though her body itself was being torn from the inside out, she fell to her knees and groaned in pain. Hades finally released his hold, and watched the young girl stumble to the floor and start coughing violently; trying to catch her breath. With another grin, he took hold of the contract and spoke. "Lover-boy is safe and sound, so….you belong to team Hades now, my little" looking at the bottom of the page, he finally spotted her name. "My little nut-Meg….you have three days." And with a flash of thick smoke, he vanished. His last words lingered through the temple but mostly… in Meg's mind. Forever in the depths of the underworld with Hades; and only three days of freedom left. Meg sat on her knees feeling physically and mentally drained; her eyes glistened with tears that she couldn't force back. They cascaded down her face, and she wasn't even sure what kind of tears they were. Joy, sadness…terror? She slowly stood; leaning against the statue for support. Lover-boy? Who's lover….Adrian?! She thought; ignoring the pain coursing through her entire body, as she ran out of the building. _

_"Pain…Panic!?" Stated the fiery god of the underworld to his two minions. "Yes your most lugubriousness?" Asked the cautious, mauve colored demon. Hades answered with a devious grin; "I have a special job for the two of you." He paused, thinking of the correct words to say to his simple-minded imps. "Go 'woo' little Miss Megara's boyfriend….make her realize how much he really loves her." He ended mockingly; shooing the demons away to go complete their task. Before exiting, they shared a grin and enthusiastic nod. "Yes sir!" They boomed simultaneously; bolting out of the room._

…"What are you going to do?" Hercules asked. _What Am I going to do? She thought._ "I….I guess I'll have to confront him. If he thinks I'm here, he'll want to speak with me." Meg answered; pausing to let out a sad chuckle. "Tell me how stupid I am for not listening to him." Herc immediately felt bad for her, but didn't know what to say exactly. Since nothing could really come to his head, he wrapped his arms around Meg, and pulled her into another hug. "You're not stupid;" he whispered in her hair. She smiled; hating how giddy she felt when she was with Hercules, but loving practically every single thing about him. And after three years with no one, it was refreshing to actually have someone care about her. Throughout her servitude in a 'literal' hell, she had come to understand so many things about the world, and how awful it could be. Meg also realized how much she missed her family; how much they really meant to her. So many nights she had dreamed of freedom, and being with her family again; even if it was just for a moment. It was the only thing that kept her going; that small hope of seeing their faces again. Now that she had that chance…it was a terrifying feeling. _I guess I never realized that I would one day GET my freedom._ Meg knew she wanted them back in her life, but….did they want her? _After stabbing them in the back and running away when they were only trying to save me…...why WOULD they want me in their lives? _She thought to herself._ But…I'll never know if I don't try; at least I'll be able to apologize, even if they don't accept it. _Taking Meg by the hand; Herc helped her to her feet, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be fine, I promise." He said while guiding her up towards the entrance of the garden. _That's what you think._ Meg's cynical mind replied, but she immediately shook the thought away and tried convincing herself that Hercules was right. _Everything's going to be fine. Everything. Is. Going. To. Be…...a disaster. Who am I trying to fool?! _Looking at Hercules through the corner of her eye, she could see the determination in his expression. _He really is a Wonderboy; trying to save one 'damsel in distress' at a time. But, it looks like he's about to witness what the world's really like…an underworld on Earth. _She thought to herself once more, holding back the urge to roll her eyes. _No turning back now._


End file.
